Waves at a US beach are mysteriously glowing for an odd reason

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WTKR) - If you head out to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront after dark, you could see an amazing light show.

Some bioluminescent organisms are in the water off our coast right now, making the waves glow a vivid blue.

"They're planktonic animals called dinoflagellates that are basically becoming much more dense, which causes that bioluminescent property," explains Michelle Coley with the Virginia Aquarium. "That bioluminescence is created because these animals have a light-creating pigment inside of them and when oxygen interacts with that light-creating pigment, that's when you get that really cool looking, natural light show down at the oceanfront."

A couple sits on the sand of Sydney's Manly Beach late at night as they watch blue bioluminescent waves July 25, 2014. According to local media, millions of tiny single-cell dynamos, called dinoflagellates, are causing the colored waves as result of warm ocean currents and favourable coastal winds, with the waves providing the agitation needed to trigger the luminescent glow. REUTERS/David Gray (AUSTRALIA - Tags: ENVIRONMENT)

Glow-in-the-dark blue waves caused by the phenomenon known as harmful algal bloom or "red tide", are seen at night near Sam Mun Tsai beach in Hong Kong January 22, 2015. Algal blooms occur when there is a sharp growth in algae population in a water system, and are considered harmful when resulting in negative impacts on other organisms. Picture taken using long exposure. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu (CHINA - Tags: SOCIETY ENVIRONMENT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

A couple stands on the sand of Sydney's Manly Beach late at night as they watch blue bioluminescent waves July 25, 2014. According to local media, millions of tiny single-cell dynamos, called dinoflagellates, are causing the colored waves as result of warm ocean currents and favourable coastal winds, with the waves providing the agitation needed to trigger the luminescent glow. REUTERS/David Gray (AUSTRALIA - Tags: ENVIRONMENT)

Bioluminescent phytoplankton create their own light during a red tide in the rolling surf along the coast of Leucadia, California September 29, 2011. A water condition knows as red tide, where billions of decaying, single-celled organisms gather in the ocean, create a night time light show for local residents.
REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT)

Bioluminescent phytoplankton create their own light during a red tide in the rolling surf along the coast of Leucadia, California September 29, 2011. A water condition knows as red tide, where billions of decaying, single-celled organisms gather in the ocean, create a night time light show for local residents. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT) BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE

Bioluminescent phytoplankton create their own light during a red tide in the rolling surf along the coast of Leucadia, California September 29, 2011. A water condition knows as red tide, where billions of decaying, single-celled organisms gather in the ocean, create a night time light show for local residents. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT) BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE